🧵 There’s a lot of talk about Armed Queers SLC after Charlie Kirk’s assassination—especially since they suddenly deleted their Instagram account.
This thread explains who they are and what they stand for. 👇
This thread explains who they are and what they stand for. 👇
1️⃣ Origins and Purpose
Armed Queers Salt Lake City (AQSLC) is a socialist LGBTQ+ collective founded in summer 2020 during the nationwide George Floyd protest wave.
📍 Based in Salt Lake City, it grew out of local Black Lives Matter marches and queer mutual-aid networks.
Organizers say they created the group to protect queer and trans people—especially Black and brown trans women—from harassment and violence, citing rising hate crimes and what they call “state and right-wing attacks” on LGBTQ+ communities.
Armed Queers Salt Lake City (AQSLC) is a socialist LGBTQ+ collective founded in summer 2020 during the nationwide George Floyd protest wave.
📍 Based in Salt Lake City, it grew out of local Black Lives Matter marches and queer mutual-aid networks.
Organizers say they created the group to protect queer and trans people—especially Black and brown trans women—from harassment and violence, citing rising hate crimes and what they call “state and right-wing attacks” on LGBTQ+ communities.
2️⃣ Ideology
AQSLC describes itself as revolutionary, anti-capitalist, and anti-fascist.
They call for queer self-determination, the abolition of police and prisons, and dismantling of colonial and capitalist power structures.
They emphasize mutual aid networks and direct action, drawing on radical queer history, anti-imperialism, and socialist theory (including Paulo Freire).
AQSLC describes itself as revolutionary, anti-capitalist, and anti-fascist.
They call for queer self-determination, the abolition of police and prisons, and dismantling of colonial and capitalist power structures.
They emphasize mutual aid networks and direct action, drawing on radical queer history, anti-imperialism, and socialist theory (including Paulo Freire).
3️⃣ Guns as Core Strategy
Unlike most LGBTQ+ groups, AQSLC openly embraces gun ownership.
They argue that gun-control laws often disarm working-class and marginalized people while far-right extremists stay armed.
Members say carrying firearms provides a visible deterrent against hate-motivated attacks.
Unlike most LGBTQ+ groups, AQSLC openly embraces gun ownership.
They argue that gun-control laws often disarm working-class and marginalized people while far-right extremists stay armed.
Members say carrying firearms provides a visible deterrent against hate-motivated attacks.
4️⃣ Founders & Instagram Deletion
The group was co-founded in mid-2020 by Ermiya Fanaeian and fellow queer activists from Utah’s protest scene.
Fanaeian—known for March for Our Lives work—helped launch AQSLC to defend LGBTQ+ communities and promote socialist, anti-police ideals.
Other early organizers remain largely anonymous, consistent with the group’s collective identity and security concerns.
The group was co-founded in mid-2020 by Ermiya Fanaeian and fellow queer activists from Utah’s protest scene.
Fanaeian—known for March for Our Lives work—helped launch AQSLC to defend LGBTQ+ communities and promote socialist, anti-police ideals.
Other early organizers remain largely anonymous, consistent with the group’s collective identity and security concerns.
Ermiya Fanaeian also started the Pink Pistols chapter in Salt Lake City before starting Queers SLC
"My name is Ermiya Fanaeian, and I am a student at Salt Lake School for The Performing Arts. For the last three years I have worked as a sociopolitical organizer for the Utah Pride Center, and The ACLU of Utah.
“My activism work as revolved around a multiplicity of political issues but I have focused primarily on Trans rights." My activism work has revolved around a multiplicity of political issues but I have focused primarily on Trans rights. I plan on studying Law and one day running for state legislature. Tackling the issue of gun control is important to me because I am done with the senseless violence that is affecting our education.”
“My activism work as revolved around a multiplicity of political issues but I have focused primarily on Trans rights." My activism work has revolved around a multiplicity of political issues but I have focused primarily on Trans rights. I plan on studying Law and one day running for state legislature. Tackling the issue of gun control is important to me because I am done with the senseless violence that is affecting our education.”
Ermiya confounded the Utah chapter of March for Our Live in March 2018 which was a youth led gun violence prevention movement.
His stance pivoted around mid 2020 when he found the Pink Pistols SLC
“Pulse, for me, was a huge pivot point, wanting to shift my understanding of what guns can do for us, as well as my time spent in the gun violence prevention movement. I was actually a gun-control activist for years and years.”
His stance pivoted around mid 2020 when he found the Pink Pistols SLC
“Pulse, for me, was a huge pivot point, wanting to shift my understanding of what guns can do for us, as well as my time spent in the gun violence prevention movement. I was actually a gun-control activist for years and years.”
Their focus was arming young people in their 20’s.
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